Computers controlling humanoid populations is a common theme in The Original Series, as is the association between these situations and the worship of God here on Earth. In “The Apple,” the two were brought together in a most obvious way as Kirk and his landing party find themselves in the Garden of Eden. To drive the point home, Kirk is even cast in the role of Satan. In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Drew Stewart, Mike Schindler, and Marc Cushman, author of These Are the Voyages, for an inside look at this very dangerous trip to paradise. What was the public reaction in the 1960s to a story with such blatant Biblical parallels? How did Gene L. Coon, D.C. Fontana, and the rest of the TOS staff feel about the story? And how does "The Apple" fit into the overall narrative of TOS's second season?

In our news segment we take a look at a new Paramount theme park coming to Spain that will feature Star Trek in its "Plaza Futura," Oregon-based Trek Theatre performing "The Measure of a Man," and io9's list of the ten times Kirk actually faced the no-win scenario—sort of.

Things began to look desperate for Archer and the NX-01 crew near the end of their mission in the Expanse. “Damage” begins with the Enterprise in the middle of battle, nearly destroyed, and Archer still missing. With the fate of Earth (and the future Federation) hanging in the balance, the likelihood that the crew will succeed is dropping rapidly. At the same time, the pressures of the mission are taking their toll on the crew. Phlox has become a battlefield doctor, T'Pol has succumbed to drug addiction, and Archer must make a move than goes against all his beliefs.

In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Matthew Rushing and Colin Higgins to discuss "Damage," the ethically dilemma facing Archer, T'Pol's increasing struggle with emotions, the role of the Sphere Builders, and how the cracks forming in the Xindi Council change the nature of the Enterprise's mission.

In our news segment we look in on Destination Star Trek Germany, the premiere of Gates McFadden's new stage play The Ugly One, lost audio commentaries for "Judgment," "North Star," and Star Trek: The Motion Picture recovered by TrekCore, a new release date for the Enterprise Season Four Blu-rays, and in Questions from the Fleet we delve into the lore of 47.

Message In a Bottle.

Ever since the Doctor got his hands on a 29th-century mobile holo-emitter, he had been itching for more away-mission action. And he finally got his chance to get far away from the ship—really far away—in the fourth-season episode “Message In a Bottle.” Thanks to Seven’s discovery of an abandoned alien relay network, the crew found a possible link to a Starfleet ship in the Alpha Quadrant; but only the Doctor could made the trip. Waiting for him on the other side of that network was Matthew from NewsRadio. Sounds like the perfect set up for an episode of Star Trek, right? In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by Charlynn Schmiedt and Daniel Proulx to discuss this humorous Voyager outing, how it served the Doctor's character development, the technological eye candy it gave us, and how it served as a set-up for a number of far more serious storylines down the road.

In news we look at Scott Bakula's new starring role in the NCIS spinoff set in New Orleans, find out why Spock is riding a unicorn, try to figure out just what Commander Riker is selling in a bizarre YouTube video, check in on Star Trek Continues' second episode premiere, hear what Ronald D. Moore says about Trek returning to television, and take a look at the Star Trek (2009) Masterworks Edition Blu-ray that is coming to Europe.

The Wire.

One of the most fascinating characters in Star Trek is the Cardassian tailor Garak. From the moment he was introduced in the second episode of DS9, “Past Prologue,” it was clear this was going to be a special character. There are many great episodes featuring him, but one the most telling is “The Wire,” a second-season episode focusing on his near death from a malfunctioning brain implant. Ironically, many fans disliked this episode when it first aired because they said they learned nothing new about Garak. In this episode of The Ready Room we're joined by John Mills and Ben McCormick to discuss "The Wire," the interplay between Garak and Bashir, the messages about drug addiction, recovery, spying (it's not just for the Obsidian Order!), and what insights Garak's ever-changing stories offer into who he really is.

In news we find out about a deal to keep Star Trek on Amazon Prime, the 1st Annual L.A. Sci-Fest and its Star Trek connections, the fourth birthday of Star Trek Online, and Chris Pine's hopes for a darker Kirk in the next Star Trek film. Plus, we remember long-time Star Trek props master Joe Longo.